On land once home to a horse track south of San Francisco, the finishing touches on an urban village are being applied. Bay Meadows, which first started as an 83-acre development in 1997, will see its first residential development completed by summer.

Located minutes from San Mateo's Caltrain stop, the community will offer residents a convenient way to avoid the freeways yet still reach San Francisco and surrounding areas. The development features several builders creating various communities. A high school is under construction, as well as a commercial center with shops, restaurants and offices.

A grand opening for Bay Meadows took place in March, with 20 homes being released for sale.

Since then, potential buyers have flocked to the welcome center to submit applications and see the development, she said.

"We've gotten a tremendous response," Thacher said.

One of the highlights of the development is an 86-foot-long living wall designed by Habitat Horticulture. Edible lavender, wild strawberries and coral bells grow from the wall, attracting butterflies and hummingbirds to pollinate.

TRI Pointe Homes joined the project in 2012 and is constructing Canterbury, a neighborhood with 76 town homes, two courtyards and multiple paths that wind through the area and connecting to nearby jogging trails.

TRI Pointe Homes is also constructing the Amelia neighborhood, home to 63 single-family residences.

The Lansdowne neighborhood is a 93-home project headed by Shea Homes. Additionally, Bay Meadows has 15 acres of public parks and a community garden. The community is set on public streets, and the parks will be maintained by the city, but residents will be required to pay a master homeowner's fee to Bay Meadows, as well as a homeowner's fee for the individual development they live in, Thacher said.

With the cost of gas continuing to increase and gridlock typical in parts of the Bay Area, Thacher said one of Bay Meadows' most intriguing aspects is the proximity to public transportation and local stores.

"You're able to live in a community where you can walk to parks and retail and the train allows people to live there without having to get in their cars and be on freeway," she said. "It's an urban village with a design that's forward-thinking."

Stockbridge, a real estate investment firm in San Francisco, is providing the funding for the development. The project itself been in the works for about 10 years, Thacher said.

Land was purchased during that time, as were plans for its development. Though the economic downturn of 2008 and 2009 caused concern, Thacher said Bay Meadows was destined to succeed.

"We were fortunate even through the market crash," Thacher said. "We were able to start the construction of the infrastructure; even in the bleakest of times we installed the sewer system and lighting. We knew the location was so good that when the market came back we could realize the vision."

To learn more about the development, go to baymeadows.com or visit the welcome center at 380 E. 28th Ave. in San Mateo.